Katsuya Jonouchi vs. Marik Ishtar
Katsuya Jonouchi vs. Marik Ishtar is the first semi-final duel in Battle City Tournament. Jonouchi decides to face Dark Marik to save his friend, Mai Kujaku, from the curse of the Millennium Rod. Prologue After Mai received a Penalty Game against Dark Marik in the Quarter Finals, Jonouchi sets his sights on facing Dark Marik. He makes sure for it to happen during Semi-Final match-up. Now, Jonouchi is to face Dark Marik in the first duel in the Semi-Finals. He promised to win to save Mai and fulfill his promise to Yugi. Can he win against the terror of "The Winged God Dragon of Ra"? Duel Jonouchi starts the duel by playing a face-down card and summoning "Panther Warrior" (☆☆☆☆, 2000 ATK/1600 DEF) in Attack Mode. At the end of his turn, Dark Marik announces the start of the Shadow Game. He tells Jonouchi about the torment Mai is going through and exclaims how he feels excitement every time he hears her screams in his head. Jonouchi curses him. Dark Marik starts his turn by summoning "Hell Poet" (☆☆☆☆, 2000 ATK/1200 DEF) in Attack Mode. Jonouchi smirks an accepts Dark Marik's Shadow Game. Dark Marik explains that the loser of the Shadow Game will sink into the darkness and will be doomed to eternal pain. He sets a card face-down and ends his turn. Before he starts his turn, Jonouchi notices a line connecting him to his monster. Dark Marik explains that just like Mai's duel, both of them will feel the pain of their monsters. He tempts Jonouchi to attack, causing Jonouchi's ire. Jonouchi begins his turn by summoning "Rocket Warrior" (☆☆☆☆, ATK 1500/DEF 1300) in Attack Mode, attempting to break "Panther Warrior" and "Hell Poet"'s even ATK. In response, Dark Marik activates his Trap Card, "Ambush". It lets him Special Summon "Viser Death" (☆☆☆☆, ATK 500/DEF ?) from his hand. Jonouchi recognizes the summoned monster from Mai's duel. "Ambush" also lets "Viser Death" activate its ability that same turn, thus Dark Marik equips "Viser Death" onto "Panther Warrior". "Viser Death" drills into "Panther Warrior"'s head, decreasing its ATK by 500 (ATK 1500). Due to the Shadow Game, Jonouchi also feels "Panther Warrior"'s torment. Dark Marik sadistically laughs and further provokes Jonouchi. As Jonouchi writhes in pain, he remembers the pain Mai went through and conjures strength to continue. Jonouchi activates "Rocket Warrior's" ability and commands it to punch a hole into "Hell Poet", decreasing its ATK by 1500 (ATK 500). Dark Marik curls in pain. Jonouchi then declares "Panther Warrior" (ATK 1500) to attack "Hell Poet" (ATK 500), inflicting further pain to Dark Marik (4000 -> 3000 Life Points). Surprisingly, Dark Marik expressed pleasure in getting hurt. He activates "Hell Poet's" ability. Its card is sent to the opponent's Graveyard and after every Battle Phase, it takes 1 card with it from Jonouchi's hand. Dark Marik's turn. He assesses Jonouchi's field and decides not to harm "Panther Warrior". He plays a card face-down and summons "Gil Garth" (☆☆☆☆, ATK 1800/DEF 1200) in Attack Mode. Jonouchi thought Dark Marik will attack "Rocket Warrior" (ATK 1500) but the latter immediately ends his turn. Jonouchi wonders if this is part of a trap. He decides to sacrifice "Rocket Warrior" next turn, but he does not have any high-level monster in his hands. As he starts his turn, he draws "Jinzo". He cannot Tribute Summon it because it requires two monsters, so he summons "Baby Dragon" (☆☆☆☆, ATK 1200/DEF 700) in Defense Mode instead and switches "Rocket Warrior" to Defense Mode (DEF 1300). Jonouchi's Battle Phase automatically enters as "Viser Death" torments "Panther Warrior" further, decreasing its ATK further by 500 (ATK 1000). In addition to torture, "Hell Poet" drags "Jinzo" card to the Graveyard, to Jonouchi's dismay. Dark Marik follows up "Hell Poet's" ability with his face-down Permanent Trap Card, "Coffin Seller", which takes 700 Life Point from Jonouchi every time a card is discarded (4000 -> 3300 Life Points). Dark Marik starts his turn. He sets two cards face-down. He plots to spring the set Trap Card "Malevolent Catastrophe" when Jonouchi attacks, destroying all cards on the field and inflicting Jonouchi 3500 damage via "Coffin Seller". Dark Marik then sacrifices "Gil Garth" to Tribute Summon "Legend Devil" (☆☆☆☆☆☆, ATK 1800/DEF 1500) in Attack Mode. Its effect makes it 500 ATK stronger each turn; he gloats Jonouchi to defeat it early. Jonouchi appears unaffected by it and activates his face-down Spell Card "Quiz". It forces each player to guess the Monster Card on the top of their opponent's Graveyard; if a player guess wrong, their opponent can summon that monster to the field. Jonouchi goes first and guesses "Gil Garth", which Dark Marik sacrificed last turn. On the other hand, Dark Marik fails the "Quiz" because he doesn't know what cards "Hell Poet" drags to Jonouchi's Graveyard. Jonouchi is able to Special Summon "Jinzo" (☆☆☆☆☆☆☆, ATK 2400/DEF 1500) in Attack Mode and instantly destroys Marik's Trap Cards, "Coffin Seller" and "Malevolent Catastrophe". The turn goes to Jonouchi. Jonouchi orders "Jinzo" (ATK 2400) to attack "Legendary Devil" (ATK 1800). Dark Marik gets 600 damage (3000 -> 2400 Life Points). Jonouchi declares to direct attack with the rest of his monsters, but Dark Marik activates his set Spell Card, "Dark Aura Shield", which shields him from direct attacks for a turn. With Jonouchi's Battle Phase over, he lose 1 card from "Hell Poet" and receives pain from "Panther Warrior's" torture. With the pain Jonouchi inflicted on him, Dark Marik has decided to up his penalty game. Dark Marik's starts his turn by summoning "Lava Golem" (☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆, ATK 3000/DEF 2500) in Attack Mode. Jonouchi is surprised Dark Marik summons an 8-level monster without sacrifices, but Dark Marik explains that it's not him that requires to sacrifice. "Lava Golem" disintegrates "Jinzo" and "Baby Dragon" and imprisons Jonouchi inside its cage. Dark Marik gives Jonouchi "Lava Golem", but with a huge price; "Lava Golem" inflicts 700 damage to its controller for every turn. He ends his turn by setting a face-down Trap Card. Jonouchi's turn. He checks his hand, but finds no high-level monster to summon. He can attack Dark Marik directly, since Dark Marik's "Viser Death" cannot defend, but worries about the face-down trap. Despite the possibility it might be a trap, he goes to attack with "Lava Golem" (ATK 3000). Dark Marik admires Jonouchi's courage and admits the trap is not permanent. He even told Jonouchi "Lava Golem's" true attack name, but Jonouchi declined to use it. With the attack, Dark Marik activates his face-down Trap Card, "Monster Relief". It calls back his "Viser Death" from the field to his hand and lets him summon a 4-level monster from his hand. He chooses "Viser Death" again in Attack Mode (ATK 500), and uses it as a shield against "Lava Golem's" attack. "Viser Death's" ability activates; it cannot die within three turns after it was summoned. As Jonouchi's Battle Phase ends, he receives 700 damage from "Lava Golem" (3300 -> 2600 Life Points) and loses 1 card to "Hell Poet". Jonouchi ends his turn. Dark Marik's turn. He sets a face-down card. With Jonouchi not sacrificing "Lava Golem" last turn, Dark Marik assesses that Jonouchi does not have a high-level monster on his hands. He has planned to use "Viser Death" just in case to prevent Jonouchi from sacrificing "Lava Golem". He proceeds to activate Permanent Spell Card "Machine Duplication". The Spell Card lets him summon duplicates of a Machine with ATK 500 or less. With it, he summons two more "Viser Deaths" (ATK 500) from his deck and equips them to "Lava Golem" and "Rocket Warrior". Now, Jonouchi cannot Tribute Summon and cannot damage Dark Marik, on top of getting damage for every turn. He ends his turn. Jonouchi looks at his cards, but he cannot see any solution against Dark Marik's combo. Despite that he decides to draw a card to fulfill his promise to Yugi. He gets "Gilford the Lightning". He cannot tribute Summon it, but suddenly realizes a plan. He activates Spell Card "Angel Dice". It lets him roll a die to increase "Viser Deaths'" ATK. Regardless of result, "Viser Deaths'" increased ATK nullifies "Machine Duplication", destroying the two monsters it has summoned. With the "Viser Deaths" dead, he sacrifices all his monsters, "Lava Golem", "Rocket Warrior" and "Panther Warrior", to Tribute Summon "Gilford the Lightning" (☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆, ATK 2800/DEF 1400) in Attack Mode. With Jonouchi breaking free of the gridlock, Dark Marik reflects to the possibility of using the God Card. "Gilford the Lightning's" ability immediately destroys Dark Marik's "Viser Death". Jonouchi then goes for a direct attack, but Marik activates his set Trap Card, "Nightmare Mirror". "Gilford the Lightning" attacks a reflection of Jonouchi in "Nightmare Mirror", inflicting 1000 damage to Jonouchi (2600 -> 1600 Life Points). The trap forces Dark Marik to discard 1 card and he chooses "The Winged God Dragon of Ra". He marks that it will be the one that will finally send Jonouchi into the grave. After the "Hell Poet" finished its task, Jonouchi ends his turn. Starting his turn, Dark Marik admits that he has underestimated Jonouchi and now realizes that they cannot end the duel without him using a God. He draws a card and activates Spell Card "Monster Reborn". He Special Summons "The Winged God Dragon of Ra" (☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆, ATK ????/DEF ????). He then recites one of its incantation, showing the final form of "The Winged God Dragon of Ra"; its "Phoenix Form". Yugi and the rest point out that monsters cannot attack the same turn they are Special Summoned, but Dark Marik reveals that "The Winged God Dragon of Ra" can due to its ability. He begins proclaiming Jonouchi's last moments and telling either Yugi or Kaiba to face him in the finals. Jonouchi protests it is impossible for "The Winged God Dragon of Ra" to defeat "Gilford the Lightning", but Dark Marik reveals that the "Phoenix" can incinerate 1 monster on the field at the cost of 1000 Life Points. He also reminds him that they are in the Shadow Game; when "Gilford the Lightning" is burned to ashes, Jonouchi will die from the mental damage. Dark Marik proceeds to activate the "Phoenix's" power (2400 -> 1400 Life Points) and engulf "Gilford the Lightning" in flames. Jonouchi wriggles in pain as Dark Marik sadistically laughs over him. With Jonouchi collapsing to the ground, Dark Marik orders the "Phoenix" to return to the Graveyard. As the flames subside, Dark Marik goes on to examine what remains of Jonouchi but to his surprise, he finds Jonouchi still kneeling on his knees. In a dream, Jonouchi sees Yugi facing him in the Battle City Finals. He cannot believe his eyes, but Yugi goes on and tells him he has won in the Semi-Finals by attacking Dark Marik with "Gearfried the Iron Knight". Jonouchi is happy he fulfilled his promise to Yugi. Back to reality, Jonouchi, half fainted, goes on and draws "Gearfried the Iron Knight" (☆☆☆☆, ATK 1800/DEF 1600). However, he shortly collapses before he can declare an attack. With Jonouchi unable to continue, Dark Marik wins and advances to the finals. Aftermath Dark Marik advances to the finals. Jonouchi slipped into a coma after collapsing during the last duel. Devastated, Yugi contemplates his will to continue fighting in the Battle City Tournament. However, after seeing a vision from the "Millennium Tauk", he moves on believing in the future ahead; his fated duel with Jonouchi in their own Battle City Finals. Category:Duels Category:Duel Monsters